FARM
ADDRESS:
Palmyra, New York
Wayne County
Clearview Farm
Farmer(s)
Kurt Forman
Products
Certified Organic vegetables, herbs and fruit;
non-certified free-range eggs (although we feed our hens certified organic grain)
Farmland
130 Acres and 2000 sq. ft. in a naturally-ventilated hoophouse, 30 miles from the South Wedge Farmers’ Market in northeastern Ontario County.
Farm History
I grew up on a small hobby farm and started farming for a living in 1981. I raised beef cattle in the 1980′s (until my sister took over and pigs until 1998). Since then, I have focused on field crop, fresh-market vegetable, and egg production.
Philosophy
I began farming, using conventional, chemical farming methods. As I learned more about that and alternative farming methods, I discovered that organic farming was more in line with my philosophies about healthy eating and living. In 2004, I began transitioning over to a certified organic farm. We are as much interested in the long-term well-being of our farm as being able to make a living from it.
Soil
We use cover crops, composted (for vegetables) and raw (for field crops) animal manures and crop rotation strategies to build and maintain our varied soils. We have sand, gravel, loam, clay and muck soils on the farm.
Weed Control
Utilize cover crop weed suppression, appropriate mulching, mechanical weeding and crop rotation to minimize weed pressure.
Pest Management
We use pest management strategies in line with organic standards, such as companion planting, row cover, crop rotation and healthy soils to help desirable plants to flourish. We prefer to use pest controls that encourage the proliferation of beneficial insects.
Water Use
We use organic matter present in the soil to help conserve water, as well as some plastic mulch (which also helps us to grow eggplant) and drip irrigation, using water from our on-farm well.
Organic Certification
NOFA-NY Certified Organic
